Transit Sam, Week of May 8, 2014

Thurs., May 8 – Wed., May 14ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE IN EFFECT ALL WEEK

Happy Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day causes far more traffic than Father’s Day. Moms cook for dads but dads take moms out to dinner. So if you’re taking mom Downtown to celebrate, take note of the art fairs below.

Tough going to drivers headed into Lower Manhattan Thursday night. In the Lincoln Tunnel, the New York-bound tube will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. Additionally, the inbound helix (the spiral road leading to the tunnel) will close 10 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. Both of these closures will send inbound traffic to the Holland Tunnel, where one inbound lane will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. Traffic will be slow from New Jersey to Canal St.

In the Financial District, the National Alliance for Mental Illness Walk will close several streets 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Affected streets include Fulton St. between South and Gold Sts., Gold St. between Fulton and Spruce Sts., Spruce St. between Gold St. and Park Row, Park Row between Spruce St. and Frankfort St., Chambers St. between Centre St. and Broadway, Broadway between Chambers and Barclay Sts., Park Row between Broadway and Spruce St., Spruce St. between Park Row and Gold St., Gold St. between Spruce and Fulton Sts., and Fulton St. between Gold and South Sts.

A spate of art fairs hits Soho and Tribeca this weekend. Cabs and private cars will be making the rounds, so expect an uptick in traffic near these fairs: Verge Art Fair on Prince St. between Thompson and Sullivan Sts. Thursday through Sunday, Cutlog on Suffolk St. between Houston and Delancey Sts. Thursday through Sunday, the Toast Annual Art Walk at Tribeca galleries Friday through Monday, the Affordable Photography Fair on White St. between Church St. and West Broadway Friday through Monday, and the New Art Dealers Association Fair at Basketball City (South St. under the F.D.R.) Friday through Saturday.

On West St./Route 9A, one lane will close in both direction between West Thames and Vesey Sts. 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. One northbound lane will close between Canal and Clarkson Sts. 10 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Wednesday nights. These weeknight closures will repeat through June 11.

The Second Avenue Festival will close Second Ave. between 4th and 14th Sts. noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Southbound traffic headed for Lower Manhattan will divert to the Bowery and Broadway.

From the mailbag:

Dear Transit Sam,If I am making a right turn and there is a bike lane to the right of me who has the right of way? What if the bike rider has a red light when I have a green one? It’s very difficult to see if a bike is coming especially at night. What’s the correct answer?Gary, New York

Dear Gary,
If there is no special signal for the bike rider or no signal at all, then the bike rider has the right-of-way. If the bike rider has a red light then you have the right-of-way. That being said, in New York City so few bike riders obey red lights that you shouldn’t assume you can go safely (for the cyclist especially) just because you have the right-of-way.Transit Sam